Intentions
by SiriuslyLoopyLupin
Summary: What if James hadn't tried to fight off Voldemort on Halloween? What if, instead, he ran upstairs with Lily? And what if they still had the intention to die to save Harry. When things still don't go the Dark Lord's way, the Potters have a different ending


**Author's Note: Here's my next one shot, or possible story. Hope you enjoy, and please review!**

**Intentions**

Baby Harry giggled on his living room floor as he reached his chubby hands up to try and catch the smoke rings emitting from his father's wand.

"I think his laugh is the cutest thing I've ever heard," James said, the hint of a smile gracing his face. Lily entered the room as he spoke, looking at her husband and son tenderly.

"Even cuter than mine?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh, don't make me chose," he replied. "You might not like the answer,"

Lily laughed. Harry, frustrated by the lack of attention and slowing smoke rings, cried, "More!"

His father raised his hand to obey, but Lily quickly dashed forward with a frown.

"Oh, no. It's bedtime for Harry," she cooed, sweeping her son up and settling him in the crook of her shoulder. Harry snuggled up, content.

"James," she called as she left the living room and headed for the stairs. "Please at least _start_ the laundry?"

James waved her off, and stood up, stretching, tossing his wand on the couch. Running a hand through his hair, he considered what he could do instead of the laundry. Perhaps if he flooed Sirius, he could come over, and Padfoot and Prongs could have a night out in the woods behind his house, their howls scaring the small children out trick or treating.

There was a bang as his front door opened, and the chill of night air brought in cleared his head except for one thought:

Lord Voldemort had found them at last.

Lily and Harry. He needed to get to them, and get them out.

He starting running to the stairs, quick on his feet from years of Quidditch practices. A green light flashed past him, missing him by inches, destroying a vase that had been a wedding gift from Petunia.

Taking the stairs three at time, he thought drifted through his mind that he had never liked that vase, anyway.

"Potter, don't be a coward. Fight like a man," a soft voice hissed up the stairs.

He realized then that his wand was still on the sofa. _Oh, bloody hell…_

"Lily!" he yelled. "Lily, get Harry! We have to run, he's here!"

Taking the corner in the hallway at breakneck speed, he saw the back of Lily as she laid Harry in his crib, her long red hair covering her face. She jumped as James slammed the door shut.

"James, what—"

"There's no time," he said with a grunt as he slid Harry's dresser in front of the door. "Grab Harry. Voldemort found us. Do you have your wand?"

Lily's eyes widened as she shook her head and cursed.

"Me neither," James said, stacking the rocker on top of the dresser, glancing around the room. "The window. We'll jump,"

Lily nodded and turned to grab Harry from his crib.

The door exploded, sending James and his makeshift barricade flying. He hit the ground with a crunch and remained still. Lily screamed.

"Stand aside," Voldemort commanded. Lily forced her attention on him, standing firmly in front of Harry's crib, her arms spread wide apart.

"Not Harry, please, not Harry," she pleaded.

"Stand aside!"

"Not Harry, please, take me instead," she cried. Voldemort raised his wand. She saw his mouth move as it framed the curse of green light flying at her. There was a rushing in her ears and she felt herself being thrown aside.

And as Lily crumpled, her thought was of her husband and her poor son.

Then she hit the ground.

She _felt_ herself hit the ground.

But if she felt it, then it meant she was still alive, which made no sense.

Struggling to sit up, she saw James at her feet, crumpled and glassy-eyed, his glasses crooked on his face, clearly dead. Harry started crying.

Lily screamed as another green light lit the dark scene, reflecting in James' eyes as they bored into hers. The killing curse hit Harry.

Then her world really exploded. She felt the ground shake under her as the walls crumpled in, burying her in the rubble. Dust filled the air as a far away scream sounded. Her mind was numb with shock of James' death, but she started shaking as Harry continued to cry.

"Help!" she cried, wondering if anyone could hear her anyway. "Please, help!"

Coughing as dust filled her airways, Lily called to her son. She wondered how he was still alive. "Harry, don't cry, Mummy's here. Don't worry, sweetie, Mummy's still here,"

Her coughs turned into dry sobs as she realized the meaning her words. James, her husband, her best friend, father of her child, was dead. Shaking and crying uninhibited, it was an abysmal sound, a gut wrenching, almost animalistic sound as she mourned the loss of her husband.

"Harry!" A loud voice bellowed. "Harry!"

Lily's heart leapt into her throat as she recognized the voice. "Hagrid!"

"Lily? Where are ya?" She felt the rubble begin to shift near her feet.

"Oh, Hagrid," she sighed, sobs escaping her throat.

"Now, don' you worry, Lily, I can getcha outta here, don' worry," he responded quietly as he continued to dig her out.

"Is Harry okay?"

"Looks okay to me," he replied, his voice sounding puzzled. "Little cut, but s'nothing,"

"Good," she breathed, closing her eyes against all the pain.

"JAMES!" A painful voice cut through the quiet air, but this person's pain could barely be the tip of her pain.

"Sirius? Whaddya doin' here?"

"I had a bad feeling, I wanted to check in on them, I'm too late," he said quickly, his voice caught in his throat. He sounded manic. Lily shifted her legs as Hagrid freed them.

"Oh, Sirius," she cried.

"Lily!" He asked, his voice jumping up in pitch with relief. "Oh, thank Merlin. Where's James?"

She couldn't answer. She couldn't be the one to tell him that James was… that he was…

"Look!" Sirius cried. "I can see his hair, hurry, Hagrid, we have to get him free, who knows how long he can last under there,"

As they shifted rocks, Harry's cries muted to soft whimpers and cries for his mother and father. Lily waited for them to realize.

There was a whine like a wounded dog. It gained in pitch as Sirius started sobbing,

"PADFOOT, NO. James, no, wake up, stop this," he cried. There was a sharp sound, the sound of skin hitting skin, and Lily realized with mild shock that Sirius had slapped James. "This is bullshit, James!"

His sobs continued as the rocks on her were moved. Lily had a feeling by the slow movements and heavy shaking that it was just Hagrid moving the rocks. Lily's tears mixed with Sirius cries as she waited. Finally, the last rock was moved, and Lily was completely free.

Sitting up gingerly, pain shooting through her body, she felt dazed and confused, as if she didn't know what to do with herself. Hagrid was kneeling next to her and reached around to grab Harry from his crib. Lily reached out her arms for her son and Hagrid, shaking heavily, placed him in them. There was blood trickling down Harry's forehead. Lily lifted her dirty sleeve and gently wiped it away, a small cut shaped like a lightning bolt was left behind on his forehead.

Harry frowned and whined a little. Lily nearly choked. He looked so strikingly like James. Except his eyes, of course, he had her eyes. She selfishly wished that Harry had also inherited James' hazel eyes that ranged from the darkest brown to the lightest caramel colors, just so she could look into them one more time…

She tore her eyes from Harry grudgingly to meet Sirius'. He was collapsed across James body, cradling his head in his arms. Tears streaked down both their dirt-covered faces.

"Come on," Hagrid said softly. "We need to getcha to Dumbledore. It ain't safe for you here,"

He reached down and shifted Lily, pulling her and Harry into his arms and lifting her into the air. Sirius nodded, a stone look in his eyes as he reached down under James and yanked him into a fireman's carry.

"Sirius—" Lily protested. Sirius glared at her.

"I'm not leaving him behind!" His voice cracked as his eyes shined. "Especially not so the bloody Death Eaters can come and clean up the mess they made,"

Lily nodded as she kissed Harry's forehead and closed her eyes.

She hoped, one day, that this pain might leave her.

**Author's Note: Aww. This was very hard to kill of James. I wanted him to live. I considered allowing all the Potters to live, and Voldemort still vanquished by his own curse. This is just a one-shot for now. Perhaps I'll slowly update as Lily mourns for James and life without him, and even one day learns to love again (Severus Snape, anyone?). As always, hope you enjoyed and please review. **


End file.
